Lace-fastening



(No Model.)

T. T. DANFORTH.

LAGE PASTENING.

No. 359,433. Patented Mar. l5, 1887.

iwwwee um Pnumumognpher, wnminglon. n. c.

a shoeprovided with my invention.

UNITED vSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODOREYT. DANFORTH, OF DUNKIRK, NEV YORK.

LACE-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,4:33l dated March 15, 1887.

Application tiled December 2S, 1886. Serial No. 222,815. (No model.)

To all whom it may conce-rn:

Be it known that I, THEODORE T.DANF0RTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dunkirk,in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Lace-Fastenings; andI do hereby declare the following yto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the same.

My invention relates more particularly to improvements in lace-fastenings for securing the laces of shoes; but it may also be used as a fastening for the laces of corsets, gloves, or any other article.

It consists in certain novelty in the construction of the fastening and in the manner of securing it to the shoe or other article with which it is used, all of which I willnow proceed to point out and describe, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of the upper part of Fig. 2 is asection taken through the center of the fastener, showing the same attached to a shoe and the lace in place. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the fastener removed. Fig. 4 is a perspective of a modification of my invention; Fig. 5, a perspective of a further modification.

Referring to said drawings, Arepresents the upper of a shoe, provided with the ordinary hooks or eyelets.

Bis the fastener, which is secured in the place of the last eyelet or hook on the upper. In the drawings I show a shoe provided with a single lace.v In this case only one fastener is required. When a double lace is used, two fasteners can be used, one on each side of the shoe. Said fastener is made of any suitable spring metal, and consists of a flat plate, b, bent back upon itself to form the spring-lip C, said lip and plate being riveted to each other at a point near thel bend by an eyelet, c. This eyelet c also serves as a means for securing the fastening to the shoe-upper. The plate b is also provided with a pointed end or tongue, b', which is passed through the upper and bent over against the inner side of said upper under the plate.

From the above description it will be seen that the plate Z andvlip C form a spring grip or clamp, and as the lip is riveted to the plate at a point near the bend it is made much stronger and retains its spring quality much longer than if it werev simply bent back upon itself' and not so riveted.

The inner and approximate surfaces of the plate and lip are provided with corrugations d.

I represents any ordinary lace.

To use my device, the lace is woven from eyelet to eyelet or hook to hook of a shoe, in the ordinary manner, and is then drawn under the spring-lip C, which securely holds it as adjusted. If desired, the free end of the lace may be then passed through the eyelet c, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. l.

In Fig. 4 I show a modification of my invention, in which .the spring-lip C is formed of a separate piece of spring metal secured to the plate by means of a rivet or eyelet.

In Fig.` 5 I show a still further modification of my invention, in which the metal plate is secured by a stud, c', passing through to the inside of the shoe, and the lip C and plate b are riveted together at a point near the bend to give the proper spring to the lip.

My invention is very simple, but thoroughly accomplishes its object. The lace is easily drawn under the spring-lip C, and once being adjusted is securely held in place by the grip or clamp formed by said lip and the plate b. The greater the tension on the lace the firmer it is held by the grip or clamp. Said lace is also quickly removed by taking hold of the free end of the same and pulling it out of the grip or clamp. I thus do away with the necessity of tying and untying the lace, which has always been a great objection to laced shoes.

I have described my lace-fastener as used with a shoe. It may also be used as a fastening for the laces of gloves or corsets, or for sei curing any kind of laces. y

I am aware that lace-fastenings have been constructed with a iiat base or plate bent back upon itself to form a gripping lip or prong, between which lip or prong and the base or plate the lace is secured, and this construction I do not claim, broadly, but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*- 1. A lacefastening consisting 'of the plate 1o Vform the spring-lip C, and having the approximato surfaces of said lip and plate corrugated and provided with ,the attaeliing-eyelet c, substantially as slioWn and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE T. DANFORTH.

\Vitnesses:

F. S. EDWARDS, A. HOLSTEIN. 

